Teed Off Ch. 03

This is the 3^rd and final chapter of this story. You will need to read the previous two chapters for it to make sense.

Also, I wrote this last year (2018) prior to Notre Dame burning. I was sorry to see that happen. I hope they are able to restore that beautiful building as soon as possible.

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Chapter 3

The girls decided they wanted to see Paris for the first week. I had actually discouraged this. Not because it isn't a great city, but it really is best to see Paris for the first time with someone with whom you are in love. I actually suggested going to Amsterdam so we can smoke some weed, even though I had never smoked a joint in my life. They didn't think this was a good idea, but I thought it might be better than actually spending a week in Paris, with Janet, remembering our previously great times there together.

We flew Air France premium economy to into CDG Paris. It was great because the flight was less than two hours. All the previous times I had been to Paris I was dead tired from the overnight flight, including my visit here with Janet, pre-kids. We were on the side of the plane, by the window, and in that section, there are only 2 seats between the aisle and the window. So we needed two rows. Janet and Rachel were several rows in front of me and Meredith.

Once we got settled in and took off, she picked up my hand, "Thank you for doing this Daddy. I know you didn't want too."

"Baby, I really wanted to come to Europe with you and Rachel, but I didn't know how I was going to handle being with your mother. These next two weeks could be really hard. But if you guys could stand for 6 hours a day in the rain for me, then I should be able to do this."

"I know you don't believe it dad, but Rachel and I have seen her change. She really is trying to be better."

"I believe you sweetie. I do. I may even believe her. It's just that all those years of hurt and pain, and then she shows up one day and says, 'oops. My bad. I'm better now.' It may be too little, too late."

With quite a bit of bitterness she said, "So, does that mean you are going to go back and see that bar maid?"

"Don't be like that. You know that Maggie owns that pub. That's why Neil and I were so concerned. As far as any future she and I may have together? Well...that's still to be determined. I'll tell you this. There is 'something' there between us. I enjoy her company and she enjoys mine. The only thing your mother and I have in common are the two of you.

"And guess what? Surprisingly, the two of you may be enough. But for your entire life how often have you seen your mother and I happy together, with each other? Truly happy?"

She was silent at that. I was managing to keep my voice low, but that's because I really didn't want to fight with Meredith.

"That's right. It's kind of hard to name those times, isn't it? Well, that's because there weren't many.

"I know these two weeks aren't about reconciling the two of us, nor do I want it to be. But you should ask your mother that exact question sometime, soon. Ask her, 'since you two were born, how often can she remember me and her being truly happy with each other?' See what she says. That should tell you something about how hard this is for me.

That was enough of this, I was going to try to lighten the tone, "Anyway, I've told you before. I would do anything for the two of you, and I love the idea of us strolling through these great cities with you."

That cheered her up a bit. The rest of the flight we looked at the travel books we had downloaded on the iPad. We already knew what we wanted to do, but we enjoyed talking about the things we were looking forward to seeing.

They did a great job with the itinerary. We had a nice van carry us, and only us, to the flat we rented in the 7th arrondissement. We had a very nice four-bedroom place with washer and dryer and a great kitchen and living area. There was even a small balcony with a table and two chairs, that looked out over the Seine and had a fairly close view of the Eiffel tower. At the time they were making reservations, I told Meredith that whatever they did, not to plan on their mother and me sharing the same bedroom or bed, or I was leaving. They knew I was serious.

This would be the hardest part of these two weeks for me. When Janet and I came here before for a full week, we were still in the honeymoon phase of our marriage. We had only been married about a year. We had such a great time. We didn't even get to see all the sites because we spent a lot of time in our room making love, back when Janet did more than just lie there.

These weren't just memories but some of the only memories I have of me and Janet together back when we were happy. I wasn't sure what kind of impact it would have on me to revisit some of the places we had visited all those years ago when we were in love. Not good, I expected.

The girls picked out a nice restaurant a couple of blocks from the Trocadéro and we strolled there. We had a nice dinner and actually were enjoying ourselves. We walked from there up to the Arc de Triomphe and then turned to stroll down the Champs-Élysées - Rachel on my arm and Meredith on Janet's.

After the stroll it was late enough, being summer time, that we hired a chauffeur-driven, big-assed Mercedes S-class for a night tour of Paris to see the lights. It is a beautiful city during the daytime, but amazing when lit up at night. I rode in the back in the middle and let my daughters sit beside me so they could each see out a window. Janet was in the trunk. Ooops, did I say that. I meant she was in the passenger seat. I wanted to be in the middle, because I didn't really want to see all the sites that I remembered so fondly.

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Wednesday

The next morning, I got up early to run. The company from which we rented the flat had stocked us with basics like milk, cream, coffee, jam, eggs, etc. but I knew the girls would appreciate fresh croissants and other baked goodies for breakfast. So at 5:30am, I snuck out and found a local boulangerie around the corner that was baking and preparing to open. I knocked on the door and pleaded for him to open up a few minutes early. I thanked him profusely and selected the items I knew everyone would like, plus a few extra items, just in case. I even found Janet's favorite, Chausson aux pommes, which are basically puffy apple turnovers. She had them every morning the last time she and I were here. I again thanked him, and did my best to tell him in my broken French, demain matin, aussi - tomorrow morning, also.

I returned as quietly as I could and left the baked goods on the table. I set the coffee pot to turn on, and then I left for my run. I ran along the Seine for an hour, wanting to burn up some of the energy that might convert to anger, and returned to the apartment, tired, around 7am. As I got in, no one was awake yet. I started the coffee and went to take my shower. As I opened the bathroom door to come out, I could smell the aroma of the delicious coffee that was calling to me. You could also smell the baked items I had picked up.

Apparently, I wasn't the only one who smelled it, because I bumped into Janet who was coming out of her bedroom. I only had on a pair of shorts, and she had on her PJs under her robe, which was her normal morning attire. I could see her appraising me as I turned towards my room to grab a t-shirt.

She was looking through the baked items. I asked her if she would like some coffee, and she nodded. I prepared it with cream and sugar, how I remembered her liking it, no longer sure if I was doing it correctly or not - wondering if I ever did it correctly or not. I would have to be careful, because even little thoughts like that were quick to provoke my anger.

She was sitting out on the balcony next to a little tea or coffee table. I set the cup next to her, and she thanked me. I prepared my own cup and sat down in the other chair on the balcony to read on my iPad. She sat there sipping her cup watching me.

"You look different, Tim."

Uh, oh. Here we go.

"Well, I probably added a few grey hairs while playing those last few days." I said, trying to smile, trying to be nice, but my insides were churning.

"No, I don't mean your hair, though I'm going grey too, faster than I was."

I smiled at that and said, "Well, you wear it well. You are still the most beautiful woman I know."

She stopped at that. Unprepared that I would say that to her. I used to tell her that when we were younger, and I truly meant it; even if I was wearing rose colored glasses when it came to her appearance. However, I hadn't said it in a long, long time. Even at 52, she could still turn a lot of heads. Oh sure, actresses and models would be considered prettier, but as far as all the women I knew or met, Janet was still the most attractive; So I did mean it.

I think that is one of the things that makes the anger burn so strong. As angry as I am, I'm always trying to hold it in check. I cannot help but be nice to her, or most anyone else. That's just my nature; my failing. That's probably what made her think she could walk all over me. It would take something like her surprising me at Neil's to cause my volcano to blow, like I did there.

"Thank you. I know you meant it. I know you believe it, even though I don't. My boobs are drooping, and my butt is spreading, but thank you. What I was saying was that, Meredith said you were bigger, stronger. I never really saw it at Edith and Neil's because we were always under the rain gear."

"Well, then, Meredith has probably told you I've been chopping a lot of wood for the guy I rent my house from. It helped me with my golf game, and it helped me keep in shape."

"It looks good on you."

"Thank you."

"Did they tell you that Rachel and I flew to meet up with Meredith before we came here?"

Well, this was news. "Uh, no. They didn't. We didn't really get the chance. Until I die, I will always appreciate the three of you being there for me during the last week, truly. I cannot express my appreciation enough, but I wasn't really in a talkative mood last week. I'm sorry about that."

"It's ok. We can discuss that some other time. What I wanted to say was that I love where Meredith is, with you, with Ken. It was good for her to move there. I didn't think it at the time, but I can see it now."

Wow. We were several minutes into this, and I haven't walked out of the room. Now she was saying she was happy Meredith moved out of Chicago, next to me. Whether this was progress, or not; it was unexpected.

"I'm glad you think so. I'm thrilled to have her, but I really didn't beg her to come. I think that visit she had the previous summer was what did it."

Janet agreed (wait, did I just write that) "No doubt. If it was anything like when we were there before we flew to Scotland, I get it. It was very nice. Ken grilled for us one night and we sat outside watching the sunset late in the day. It was very relaxing.

She continued, "I like Ken. I can see why you've stayed there."

"Yeah. He's an interesting guy. I think we've been good for each other. And those two cats are about as enjoyable as I could have ever imagined but having Meredith there has released a new side to him that I didn't see before. He does care for her as if she were his granddaughter."

"That's quite clear. He would like to have Rachel, if she would come."

More news! "Oh really, what makes you say that?"

"He said it to her in front of me and Meredith that night we were grilling. Sneaky bastard. I suspect he knew the effect that place had on Meredith and was trying to gently convince Rachel as well. He said he already had a room picked out for her. I can tell she was at least thinking about it."

"Well, I would love to have her, but I won't encourage it. That wouldn't be fair to you." There I go being nice again. I should just shoot myself, or maybe jump off our balcony - four stories might be enough to kill me.

Nice was my default position. Some people had to think about it, work at it, but not me. I actually had to work at not being nice. It pissed me off when I thought about it. Sometimes, like now, I loathed myself for it.

"Thanks Tim, but we can let her decide. I know you are trying to be fair."

I was, but that was enough of this.

"Did you see the Chausson aux pommes that I found? Do you still like those?"

"Yes, I saw them. I'm about to get one. They smell delicious. Thank you for remembering. You were always good at that."

"I do my best."

"Yes. yes, you do. And..." she paused and let out a long sigh.

Then she got up. I didn't know if she was going to continue or not. When she didn't, I returned to my coffee and switched to my email which I hadn't checked for a week.

I saw some work-related items, which I saved for later. Then as I got into my Wednesday emails, I started seeing the personal items related to golf. By the time I finished, I had many emails congratulating me on the win. My sister said she had saved as much as she could on her DVR for me to watch when I returned. Regina is a super sis.

She did send me a link someone had posted to Youtube of my doing the Caddyshack quote. It was the only thing from the tournament I watched right away. The hosts of the golf show couldn't keep a straight face for several minutes after the clip. Watching Freddy and I disappear into the rain was really an awesome site. I caught myself smiling at that, and then went back to the news.

The girls got up soon after that and loved the items from the bakery. We proceeded to arrange our morning. We already knew where we were going first - the Louvre.

I'm fortunate to have been to many different art and history museums. Many times in Chicago, of course. New York. DC. Madrid. London. Even Pittsburgh. But nothing compares to the Louvre. It is a spectacular place. We had arranged a private morning tour, then ate lunch there and browsed the rest of the day. They stayed open late on Wednesdays and so we were there until around 7pm. It's always awe-inspiring.

Janet and I were civil. Or more accurately, I was being civil to Janet. She really had been nice to me ever since last Tuesday at Neil's. Huh? She's been with me a whole week and hasn't said one nasty or biting thing. I'd have to think on that later.

We, or more accurately, the girls, had planned a dinner cruise for us and so we walked less than 10 minutes to the boarding location and had our two-hour cruise. We used Calife and had a table on their sun deck. Janet and I didn't do this when we were here. Last night's car tour was beautiful, but this was almost magical. We started off watching the sun set behind the Eifel tower as we approached it by river. Then we turned and headed silently up the river and back towards our launch with everything lit up at night. It really gives you time to appreciate the beauty of the city. All of us were enthralled.

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Thursday - The next morning I repeated the routine of the earlier day. Getting breakfast for the girls and then going for a run. This time on my run, I tried to think about Janet being nice to me for a whole week. Truly, she had gone out of her way to thank me, compliment me and even ask what I wanted to do or see. The old Janet was a self-centered monster. This Janet was thoughtful and considerate. It was so unlike what I was accustomed to that after nearly two decades, I was having a hard time processing it.

If I assumed that she had changed, that she was different from the way she was, what does that mean? Does she want us to have another go? Certainly not. Are we just supposed to get along for the girls? That was my plan. I would try to be pleasant...No. I would try harder than that. I would minimize my snarky comments. I would try to control my thoughts. I would try to believe. I would...do my best to give her a chance. Not as my wife, but at least as their mother. Maybe I could treat her like a friend.

When I returned from my run, Janet already had the coffee prepared and was sitting on the balcony. I went to take my shower and then joined her.

"Thank you again for breakfast."

"It's my pleasure. Thank you for the coffee. Let me know if you prefer for me to get something different. I don't want you to get tired of these."

"No. I love what you've been getting. I think I could eat these every day. They are better than I remember." True, this boulangerie was especially good.

"I agree. I'm glad you like them. I love doing things for my girls, all of you... of course, you aren't really girls anymore, but it sounds odd saying 'for my ladies'." Then she smiled at that.

"No. They aren't girls anymore. They are about to be professional working women. Unless Rachel decides to go back for grad school for her master's in accounting."

"Really? Grad school? I didn't know she was thinking about it."

"She's worried about paying for it, so she hasn't decided yet. She didn't want you to worry."

"She doesn't need to worry about it. I've got it covered."

"Are you sure? We only promised them undergraduate degrees. She wasn't counting on our help with grad school."

The girls didn't need to know about the size of my winnings. "I know, but there is still a little money left in the college fund, and I can take care of the rest. Neil and I placed a small wager on me before the tournament, which of course, paid off. I've got this. There isn't anything I wouldn't do for them. Where has she applied?

Janet said, "University of Chicago and UT Knoxville."

What! "Janet. I had no idea. We talked yesterday. You know I'm not trying to get them both down there."

"I know you aren't, but I AM ok with it. Whatever she decides, it will be ok." Again, this Janet was not the Janet I left. When I left, if I had tried to take the girls with me from Chicago, Janet would have tried to kill me. Now she's "ok with it"?

The girls got up and we finished breakfast together. Then we got ready for our trip to Versailles. Meredith and Rachel arranged a guided tour with a special touring company. They would pick us up in a Mercedes and drive us there ( I know, the RER would be cheaper). We would have special access and dining.

They picked the right company. It was another fabulous day. It is such an amazing place. A lot of the older castles you go to, look like something out of a bad Arthur and knights of the round table movie, but Versailles looks like something Disney would create...and I mean that in a good way. It's very palatial, with the high ceiling, chandeliers, formal everything. It's not my taste, but it is VERY impressive.

They selected a nice little bistro for lunch so we could get in and out, but after the tour, they arranged dinner at a one-star Michelin restaurant near the palace. Then they drove us back to our apartment.

I complimented the girls, including Janet, on our first two days. It couldn't have gone any better.

__________

Early Friday morning was a repeat. Bakery, Running, Shower, Breakfast with Janet on the balcony.

We were sitting there chatting idly and watching the traffic on the Seine and streets when she got a text. She looked at it and smiled and typed something back.

Since the girls were with us, I asked, "Everything ok?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes. That was Edith. She wanted to make sure I was still breathing."

I almost spit my coffee out hearing that. Edith?!! Edith was checking up on Janet? So, Neil really meant what he told me. Damn.

I smiled at Janet and said, "well don't wait too long to respond or she'll have the police knocking on our door. Wait. Take a selfie of the two of us for proof of life."

I then pretended I was choking Janet while she took the picture. Janet liked that and sent it to Edith. Edith pinged back saying that was better than what she expected.